Heritage education has significantly developed in the last two decades, becoming a key element in social science teaching and fostering civic skills. However, its integration into Spanish history education remains limited. This study investigates the perceptions of future secondary education teachers regarding the potential of heritage in developing historical thinking. Understanding their viewpoints is crucial for identifying training needs and improving university programs. The research focuses on future teachers’ understanding of heritage’s multifaceted nature, encompassing not only monumental elements but also living traditions, landscapes, technological advancements, and ethnographic aspects. Effective heritage education necessitates engagement with primary sources and local contexts, often overlooked or deteriorated, requiring meaningful integration into the curriculum. Modern societies often prioritize economic parameters of heritage, leading to gentrification and disconnection between local populations and cultural heritage. This study argues that a society that undervalues its heritage, both tangible and intangible, is an immature society, and preserving heritage through education is vital for social cohesion and civic development. The study aims to identify which resources are valued most by future teachers, how they assess heritage's role in teaching history and developing historical skills, and their past experiences with heritage-based history learning.

Recent research has focused on students’ and teachers’ perceptions of history teaching and learning. This study examines the perspectives of teachers-in-training, offering a unique dual perspective—their experiences as students and their aspirations as future educators. The participants were students from a Master's degree program in Secondary Education Teacher Training, specializing in Geography and History, at three Spanish universities. The current model of history teaching in Spain often relies on classical methodologies, with the teacher as the central figure passively transmitting knowledge. This model promotes a national and European narrative, neglecting local knowledge and focusing on political regimes and economic issues detached from everyday life. While there are exceptions integrating active learning methodologies, these are hindered by inertia, legislation rewarding conceptual content, and the reliance on textbooks and summative evaluations. Future teachers are aware of the need for conceptual content, but they also desire a less traditional approach combining conceptual, procedural, and attitudinal aspects. They recognize the value of both tangible and intangible heritage (especially music), but they lack skills in classroom implementation and experience with technologies like augmented reality and virtual recreations. Heritage is often treated as a supplementary element in educational laws and textbooks, illustrating historical stages without critical analysis. A more comprehensive approach is needed, integrating intangible heritage and new technologies to foster critical historical thinking and civic values, similar to what is seen in many European and Anglo-Saxon countries.

This mixed-methods study employed a non-probabilistic convenience sampling approach, selecting participants from three Spanish universities (Malaga, Almeria, and Murcia). The sample consisted of 112 teachers-in-training specializing in Geography and History. The study used a simultaneous triangulation design, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative phase utilized a Likert scale questionnaire consisting of 78 items divided into two blocks: one focusing on general approaches to history teaching and another focusing on opinions on various teaching topics, resources, skills, evaluations, and teacher behaviors. The qualitative phase involved a questionnaire with ten open-ended questions exploring participants' conceptions of heritage, its didactic possibilities, benefits, preferred types of heritage, learning outcomes, skill development, suitability of using foreign heritage, preferred heritage elements, methodologies, resources, and remembered teaching experiences. The quantitative data (specifically five items related to heritage use) were analyzed using XLSTAT software, applying Cronbach's alpha for reliability assessment (alpha = 0.74). Qualitative data were analyzed using NVivo software, employing automatic, free, and live coding procedures resulting in 58 codes. Data analysis included code matrices and clustering based on word and code similarity. The quantitative analysis focused on the ratings of five heritage resources: museums, local festivities, virtual recreations, mobile applications, and nearby heritage. The qualitative analysis explored the types of heritage, teaching methodologies and resources, and participants' memories related to heritage-based history education.

Quantitative analysis revealed that “nearby historical heritage” (mean=4.73) was the most valued resource, followed by “museums” (mean=4.61). “Virtual recreations” (mean=4.31) and “local festivities” (mean=4.05) received intermediate ratings, while “mobile applications” (mean=3.91) were rated lowest. Comparisons with a larger national sample showed similar trends, with the three universities scoring nearby heritage and museums slightly higher. Qualitative analysis identified “intangible heritage” as the most frequent concept (104 mentions) among resources, followed by “local heritage” (83), “artistic heritage” (81), “monuments” (76), and “museums” (71). Cluster analysis revealed strong correlations between “local history” and “history teaching” (0.88), “didactic visits” and “didactic strategies” (0.84), and “didactic resources” and “intangible heritage” (0.82). Despite the high frequency of “intangible heritage” in qualitative responses, its quantitative rating (“local festivities”) was relatively low, indicating a potential gap in understanding and utilizing intangible heritage in teaching. The use of ICTs received mixed responses. While a significant proportion of respondents (47.27%) recognized the potential of ICTs, the specific mention of mobile applications was scarce. Analysis of open-ended questions revealed strong links between museums and participants’ memories of history teaching (50 mentions), highlighting museums as a key resource for future teaching practice. “Local heritage” was frequently linked to history learning (27 mentions), underlining its importance for teaching history. Didactic visits (175 mentions) and the use of ICTs (48 mentions) were the preferred teaching strategies.

The findings highlight a strong preference for locally relevant heritage resources, reflecting the potential for engaging students emotionally and fostering identity development. The high valuation of museums aligns with previous educational experiences, indicating the need for innovative approaches beyond traditional outings. The relatively low rating of mobile applications and other ICT resources reflects a lack of training and digital competence among participants. The discrepancy between the frequent mention of intangible heritage qualitatively and its lower quantitative rating suggests a lack of clarity in defining and implementing intangible heritage in educational settings. This highlights the need for enhanced teacher training focusing on conceptual understanding and pedagogical approaches. The strong correlation between guided tours, history teaching, and museums reflects this resource's established role in education. The importance placed on historical sources confirms their value in developing historical thinking. The study also highlights regional variations, with Andalusian universities showing higher values than the University of Murcia, possibly due to differences in regional curricula emphasizing heritage.

This study demonstrates that future secondary education teachers in Spain highly value heritage in history education, particularly local and nearby heritage and museums. However, challenges remain in effectively integrating intangible heritage and ICTs into teaching practices. The findings emphasize the need for improved teacher training programs focused on developing skills in utilizing diverse heritage resources, including intangible heritage and ICTs, to foster critical historical thinking and create engaging learning experiences. Future research could explore the impact of specific heritage-based teaching interventions on student learning outcomes and investigate the effectiveness of different pedagogical approaches to integrating heritage into history education across various regional contexts.

The study's limitations include the use of a non-probabilistic convenience sampling, limiting the generalizability of the findings to a broader population of future teachers. The reliance on self-reported data may also introduce bias. Future studies could utilize larger, more representative samples and incorporate diverse data collection methods to enhance the validity and reliability of the findings.